SHERMAN, Texas - The Austin College men's basketball team led the University of Dallas for much of their Saturday afternoon showdown, but the Crusaders used a big second half run to take the lead and handed the 'Roos a 74-71 defeat in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play. The 'Roos are now 12-12 overall and 7-8 in conference play heading into the final week of the regular season.

Austin College sprinted out to a 14-1 lead five and a half minutes into the game, but the Crusaders started to chip away at the deficit and cut it to single digits at 19-12 on a Kelton Coleman three with 10:43 left before halftime. Dallas whittled the margin down to 25-23 with just under two minutes on the clock before Austin College closed the half with a quick 5-2 run to make it 30-25 at halftime. Tristan Dick and Ethan Pearce each scored seven points in the first 20 minutes of action to pace the 'Roos, as Austin College limited Dallas to just 21.2% shooting from the field in the opening half.

Dallas scored the first five points of the second half to square things up, and after Austin College went back on top 35-31, the Crusaders answered with an 11-2 run to pull ahead 42-37 at the 14:37 mark. The margin grew to 50-39 on a Thomas Fleming three pointer with 12:25 left to play, and the Crusaders would stay in the lead the rest of the way. Austin College cut it to a 73-71 game on a Kidus Getenet three with 36 seconds left and had a chance to tie things up with 11 seconds left, but an alley-oop attempt went awry and Dallas brought in the rebound and made one of two free throws in the game's closing seconds.

Dick finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocked shots to lead Austin College, and Getenet added 14 points and six rebounds. Joshua Joe scored 11 points and added seven rebounds and five assists, while Pearce chipped in 10 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks. Johny Olmsted led Dallas with 16 points, and Jack Boyle hauled in 17 rebounds to go along with nine points.